Rossi to race in Rally of Britain

Reigning MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi will switch to four wheels to take part in next month's Rally of Britain, a spokesman for the Italian said Friday.

The eight-time motorcycling champion, who has competed in two rallies, will face his four-wheeled nemesis Sebastian Loeb, who is on course to win his fifth WRC title at this weekend's Rally of Japan here.

Rossi, the son of a keen amateur rally driver, raced in the 2002 Rally of Britain in a Peugeot 206, and four years later placed a respectable 11th in a Suburu in the New Zealand edition.

The Italian ace wrapped up his eighth MotoGP title in September, after beating Australian defending champion Casey Stoner in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Reigning WRC champion Loeb is trailing Finnish rival Mikko Hirvonen in the opening special stages of the Rally of Japan Friday, but with a 14-point lead the Frenchman only needs to place third to win the championship.